My name is Charise Reynolds and I’ve lived in Middletown for 22 years. I am writing in support of John Hess for District 1 supervisor. I don’t believe we’ve ever had a more qualified candidate for supervisor. John has spent most of his adult life in public service.

I was discussing the candidates with a friend recently. They told me that they didn’t care about “experience.” They wanted “someone who cares about Middletown.” I don’t believe the two things have to be mutually exclusive. I have no doubt that both candidates care about our district. But, when you hire someone for a job (or vote someone into office), you look at everything that they bring to the table. John brings a lot of knowledge to the table. Knowledge about the issues and knowledge about how to get things done.

When the candidates first announced their candidacy, I didn’t know a whole lot about any of them. So, I made a point of attending the Middletown Area Town Hall candidate forum in January. At that time, there were five candidates. Early on John stood out from the pack. With every question asked it was clear who had the facts and who stated their opinion. Not only did he know about the issues and processes that were brought up, but he could speak at length about any question posed by the moderator, and his responses were very detailed. Some of the candidates even deferred to him on certain topics.

That evening was no fluke. At the supervisor candidate forum on Aug. 21, once again, John answered thoroughly and spoke knowledgeably. He’s put in the work, literally. He has been on the Planning Commission for the last eight years. He’s studied the issues and he knows the process. The main purpose of the commission is to review all aspects of a project and then make recommendations to the Board of Supervisors. You can view the video of that August forum for yourself at hessforsupervisor.com on the “news” page.

John has never held a public office. However, his experience is remarkable for someone seeking a local office. John served as Barbara Boxer’s senior advisor at the state level and as her senior policy advisor in Washington, D.C. He later served as chief of staff for Jane Harmon for 12 years. Harmon was the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee before chairing the Homeland Security Committee's Intelligence Subcommittee.

Throughout his career, he has forged relationships with decision-makers (like Mike Thompson who he’s known for 20 years) and the staff of decision-makers. These relationships are so important for bringing federal dollars into our county. Lake County never has enough money to cover all of the things that need to be done. Things like fixing our roads in a timely fashion, having reliable broadband to support high-wage jobs, and creating much-needed housing require funding.

John spent years in Washington evaluating requests for assistance from local elected officials like our Board of Supervisors. He understands the different funding streams, he knows how to put together a winning request and the best channels to use to secure funding.

John will be an effective advocate for our district. He has the expertise and knowledge to help our county flourish. He is the best candidate for the job. I urge you to join me in voting for John Hess for District 1 supervisor.

Charise Reynolds lives in Middletown, California.